GOP governors take $500,000 in tainted funds
Surprise, surprise...our very own Mitt Romney is entangled in this Ambramoff-Republican scandal. In 2002, the year Romney ran for election here in Massachusetts, the Republican Governor's Association took $500,000 from Abramoff associate Mike Scanlon. That money was used to elect GOP govs across the country. Now head of the RGA, Romney ran around on Monday calling for the resignation of those involved in this Republican finance scandal. What he failed to mention was that his own organization was one of the largest beneficiaries of this mess! Confronted by the Associated Press on Wednesday, Romney said the RGA would give the money to charity. Not all of it though. Only half of the tainted cash will be given up this year. The remaining quarter million won't be given up until 2007. Afterall, $500,000 is a lot of money to lose in an election year...
posted by Shawn Hartman @ 4:23 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
If you review the article regarding Romney ties to the Abramoff scandal, you will discover that there are no links to the original article, diminishing the credibility of your comments.
In addition, the following came from the MassDems Forum. It is truly disappointing that there is no mention of this issue.
Municipalities & households are stressed due to the rising energy costs.
Democratic leadership on this issue would have gone a long way to resolving/preventing this problem. Can you even imagine where we would have been with a little far-sighted leadership that worked to develop wind farms & solar projects? Sad! Truly sad!
For too long, complacent Democrats have allowed failed Republican Governors to define themselves, while failing to lead and innovate.
It is time for you all across Massachusetts to take action NOW. The message, which follows, is from Marc Breslow, Director of the Mass Climate Action Network (MCAN). Immediate action from you all is needed to overwhelmingly change Governor Romney's mind so Massachusetts will reduce pollution from power plants. Action by either attending Friday's hearing or writing. When you take action reply to Marc Breslow at marc@mbreslow.org to keep him informed so MCAN can better coordinate their efforts.
Bruce Langmuir
Sudbury, MA
----- Original Message -----
From: Marc Breslow
To: Mass. Climate Action Network :
Sent: Monday, January 16, 2006 9:35 PM
Subject: Correction- Filthy Five Hearing Jan. 20
MCAN Action Alert – Corrected Date
Mass’s First-in-the-Nation CO2 Regulations Threatened
Come to Boston Hearing Fri, Jan. 20, 9 am
Or send in written comments
Dear Supporters of Climate Protection:
Having pulled Mass. out of the northeast regional plan to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from power plants, Governor Romney is also trying to gut Massachusetts’ first-in-the-nation regulations (310 CMR 7.29), passed in 2001, to cut emissions from the six most polluting plants in the state, known as the “Filthy Five.”
The Mass. Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) is holding public hearings in the next six weeks on the Governor’s proposed changes. It’s crucial that we show DEP and the Governor that the new weakened versions of these regulations are unacceptable – by packing the hearing rooms and submitting many written comments. The first hearing is:
Boston – Jan. 20, 9 am, Mass. DEP, One Winter St. (corner of Winter & Washington, enter through Corner Mall on Washington, near Downtown Crossing T stop)
Please reply to this e-mail to let us know that you will attend a hearing or send in written comments. marc@mbreslow.org
The other hearings are in these locations (full details at bottom):
Salem – February 15, 6pm
Holyoke – February 16, 6pm
Sandwich – February 16, 6pm
Somerset – February 23, 6pm
More information is at the following web address:
http://www.mass.gov/dep/air/laws/regulati.htm#ghg
(Mass. regulations 310 CMR 7.29)
Written comments must be received by March 6 and should be sent to Sharon Weber at Sharon.Weber@state.ma.us or Dept. of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Waste Prevention, One Winter Street, Boston, MA 02108.
What to say
We want Mass. to be a leader in stopping global warming. The regulations previously proposed were strong, mandating that the power plants reduce their emissions by about 10%. The new amendments unnecessarily weaken our regulations and should be rejected.
Specific problems with Romney’s proposed changes:
If the price of “offsets” (alternative ways of reducing greenhouse gas emissions instead of actually cutting emissions at the power plants) goes above $6.50 per ton, power plant owners could buy offsets not only in the northeast U.S. but anywhere in the world. This would remove the local health and economic benefits from actually cleaning up power plants in the state or doing offsets in the region.
If the price of offsets goes above $10 per ton, power plant owners could just pay $10 into a trust fund rather than have to reduce emissions or buy offsets. This means that global warming and other pollutants would not actually be reduced, instead plant owners would just be paying a fine.
The DEP Commissioner would have discretion to expand the geographic scope of offsets or allow trust fund payments even if the price limits were not reached.
The previous regulations said that offsets had to be “permanent.” The revisions say “permanent to the maximum extent feasible” – a dangerous weakening.
Location of other hearings:
· Wednesday, February 15, 2006, at 6 pm
Salem Maritime National Historic Site, Regional Visitor Center
2 New Liberty St.
Salem, Massachusetts 01970
· Thursday, February 16, 2006, at 6 pm
Holyoke Community College, Leslie Phillips Forum
303 Holmstead Avenue, Building C
Holyoke, MA 01040
· Thursday, February 16, 2006, at 6 pm
Sandwich Office Building Meeting Room
16 Jan Sebastian Drive
Sandwich, MA 02563
· Thursday, February 23, 2006, at 6 pm
Old Town Hall
1478 County Street
Somerset, MA 02726
Marc Breslow, Ph.D.
Director, Mass. Climate Action Network
marc@mbreslow.org
781-643-5911 (primary), 617-426-1228 ext. 105 (secondary)
www.massclimateaction.org
86 Milton St., Arlington, MA 02474
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Visit your group "MaDemsForum" on the web.
Isn't this interesting that you should be pointing fingers at Romney. How many special interest contributions do democrats accross Massachusetts take? Thank God for the Office of Campaign and Political finance posting where the money comes from. I suppose you will try to shut down there web site so no one can see, just like your calling people over at the department of revenue to have any political opponents audited or calling the Office of campaign finance and reporting errors on opponents campaign literature so they get fined or you can say to the press that they are being investigated. Lets not forget that indeviduals are limited to a $500 dollar contribution per year. However, (and this is comming from a dues paying union member who walks the picket line) union officials are notorious for squeezing money out of union members to support democrats by collecting individual checks. I've been there. OK. You guy's think your so slick. The word is slowly but surely getting out amongst unions about your sleezy campaign tactics.
The democrats think that they have carte blanch over unions. Guess what. You don't.
There are a hell of a lot of us out here who are union people that are sick and tired of being told who we have to support. Things are going to change in Massachusetts.
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